Horizon: Being Transgender BBC TWO, 9.00PM
The BBC’S flagship science programme addresses one of the hot topics of the moment: gender identity. In terms of shedding scientific light on such key questions as whether it is biology or psychology that lies at the root of gender dysphoria, and the need to transition from one gender to another, this film actually has relatively little to offer that hasn’t already been covered in other nonscience programmes contributing to the debate of late.
On the other hand, there are many insights on offer into various aspects of making the journey from male to female, or female to male, by a number of British and American people who are currently undergoing the process of transition.
No doubt the biggest talking point will be the contribution of San Francisco gender confirmation surgeon Dr Marci Bowers, who specialises in the type of genital surgery that for many trans people is the ultimate step. Dr Bowers has first-hand experience of that process as she transitioned herself in the Nineties. Here she allows the cameras into the operating theatre to record, in eye-watering detail, the surgery involved in converting male genitalia to female. Gerard O’donovan